Cambodian military officials on Monday temporarily held five Thai trucks while negotiating the release of 15 Cambodian workers who had allegedly been held in Thailand on accusations of stealing a water pump from a farmer.

The 15 workers cross the border at the O’Chrov border checkpoint in Banteay Meanchey every day to work in Thailand, but were taken into custody by Thai border forces on Monday after they were accused of stealing the pump, said Khuon Choeun, commander of Border Unit 503.

“The Thai rangers arrested our Cambodian people and charged them without clear and proper evidence,” he said.

After Royal Cambodian Armed Forces officials found that there was no evidence to support the accusations, they asked that the 15 be released, but Thai military officials then said that they had illegally entered the country on 12 motorcycles.

Cambodian officials then blocked five Thai trucks from entering the country, Choeun added.

“After failing to find the evidence to burden the Cambodians, they said that Cambodians rode motorbikes into Thailand illegally, so we halted five of their trucks going into Cambodia to buy agricultural products illegally,” he said.

The 15 workers were released later in the day and their motorcycles returned yesterday.